Ethics

If I knew I could get a billion dollars and all I needed to do was enter a persons home and smash their tv then I would do it. Does that make me immoral?

Comments

Depends on what the right view of morality is. And depends on what you plan to do with the billion dollars. On some deontological (e.g., Kantian) views, there may be no way to morally justify such a violation of another person's property. On some consequentialist (e.g., utilitarian) views, there may be lots of ways to justify this action, including buying the person a new TV (and more stuff) and then giving lots of the billion dollars to prevent terrible suffering (e.g., of victims of famine in Africa or victims of war in Syria). Personally, I think if you are allowed to pull of this stunt in a way that allows you to repay the victim of your crime and do lots of good, go for it. (And please tell me who's giving a billion bucks to break TVs.)

Read another response by Eddy Nahmias

Read another response about Ethics